Supreme Court refuses to discharge Jayalalithaa from income tax case

New Delhi, Jan 30 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to discharge Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her associate S Sasikalaa from three cases against them for not filing income tax returns from 1991-94, and set a time limit of four months to complete the trial.

A bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan dismissed the petition filed by them challenging the Madras High Court's order, which had refused to quash the proceedings against them.

The apex court also vacated the stay order on the trial and directed the lower court to complete the proceedings within four months.

The Income Tax department had in 1996-97 launched criminal proceedings against Jayalalithaa, Sasikalaa and Sasi Enterprises, of which both were partners, for not filing returns for the assessment years of 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94.

The trial court had dismissed their discharge pleas and the Madras High Court had upheld the same in 2006.

Subsequently, special leave petitions were filed in the apex court against the judgment of the high court.